


Too good to be true

by Ash0605



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Amusement Parks, Angst with a Happy Ending, Birthday, Comfort, Gen, Happy Birthday to the literal sun, Mashiro and Amanesu too, Tags Are Hard, we stan Kokoro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:21:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25792033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ash0605/pseuds/Ash0605
Summary: Kokoro offers to cheer Mashiro up by taking her to an amusement park on her birthday. Mashiro worries about whether she deserves any of it, or whether its all too good to be true.Happy Birthday Kokoro!
Relationships: Kurata Mashiro/Tsurumaki Kokoro
Comments: 13
Kudos: 18





	Too good to be true

Mashiro breathed a heavy sigh as she left Tsukinomori through the front gate. Even though her moods were consistently lighter after forming Morfonica, there were still days when she felt overwhelmed with sadness, which were most common after live performances. Days where watching her other band members play filled her with dread and shame instead of joy. Days where, no matter how many times the others praised her, she felt her vocals were never good enough. While the other band members would probably continue to prepare and practice for upcoming lives, Mashiro envisioned an evening of lazing about and hugging Michelle pillows for comfort. She could consider herself lucky if she put any feelings to paper as lyrics.

The quiet bustle of Tsukinomori’s students as they made their way home was interrupted by loud yelling as a girl thundered down the street. Mashiro recognized her golden hair and eyes immediately, despite it being several months since the pair had talked. She wore a pair of denim short overalls over a red and white shirt.

“Mashiro! Hello!!!” yelled Kokoro Tsurumaki. She skid to a stop in front of her, regarding Mashiro with a beaming smile.

“T-t-t-t-surumaki-san?” Mashiro stammered. She was completely taken aback by Kokoro using her first name. The two had only talked at the sakura viewing festival, not to mention Kokoro was her senior. Mashiro’s eyes dashed around quickly and – _oh god people were looking at them_.

“Don’t worry about it! Just call me Kokoro!” Her eyes narrowed slightly and her smile drooped a bit upon noticing the gloom on Mashiro’s face, though remarkably the sparkle in her eyes and the smile on her face didn’t disappear. “Are you doing ok? The afternoon is so beautiful and sunny, yet you aren’t smiling.” Kokoro asked, tilting her head.

Mashiro hesitated for a moment. Her first image of Kokoro at the sakura viewing was a scary one, but she realized she was well meaning (if not a bit confusing) to everyone she met after she joined her friends in looking for her. “I’m just… feeling a bit down, to be honest. We just performed a live a few days ago. I always get a few negative comments after I perform, and while my friends really help encourage me and cheer me up it still… gets to me sometimes.” Mashiro explained. Although she had worked up the courage to talk to Kokoro, she hadn’t worked up the courage to meet Kokoro’s radiant eyes.

“Ah, so that’s why. I think you just need some cheering up!” Just as Mashiro was about to open her mouth, Kokoro threw her arms into the air, her eyes wide and sparkling. “I’ve just had a great idea! Do you want to come with me to an amusement park for my birthday tomorrow?” she questioned excitedly.

“Ehh? Y-your birthday..?” Mashiro covered her face with her hands as she worked through the implications of Kokoro’s proposition. “W-w-wait! Shouldn’t I be taking you there considering its your birthday?”

Kokoro tilted her head again. “I don’t think so? I want to make you smile, so I don’t mind taking you! We can meet here tomorrow morning and walk there if you want to!”

After a few more seconds of hesitation, Mashiro nodded. Kokoro leaped into the air in excitement.

“I can’t wait Mashiro! We’ll meet here, okay?” Kokoro explained eagerly before starting to move away. “Bye-bye!”

Mashiro waved back nervously before the implications of what she had agreed to hit her like a truck. Which amusement park was she even going to? Was anyone else going to be there with her? (She was in a band as well, it would make sense on her birthday.) Should she pay for everything? After all, it was her birthday.

Despite her worries, there was a part of Mashiro that was happy to be invited. She was glad she was free tomorrow, and at least she could spend her evening preparing for it rather than lazing about. Mashiro slowly made her way home, her mind buzzing with thoughts of tomorrow.

\----------

No amount of mental preparation could have prepared her for this.

Kokoro led her to an amusement park that was seemingly the size of a small city. The multitude of rides and attractions struggled to stay inside the walls, as if they came close to bursting out and occupying the countryside.

“Welcome to Michelle Land Mashiro!” Kokoro announced, gesturing towards the entranceway using her hands. Mashiro didn’t need telling twice, she could recognize the soft, huggable face on the gates of the park. “I remember you said you liked Michelle back at the viewing party, so I thought this would make you smile!”

Though still overwhelmed by the spectacle of the park, Mashiro was at least glad she went with her usual blue dress instead of something more formal. Seeing Kokoro in the same clothes from yesterday made her morning panic in deciding her clothes unnecessary. “I-I’m flattered you remembered! There doesn’t seem to be a queue at all yet, so I’m glad we got here so early. I can’t… believe Michelle has an amusement park based on her!”

Mashiro felt a surge of confidence. Things were going ok so far. She had dressed correctly and remembered to wish Kokoro a happy birthday when they met outside Tsukinomori that morning. The park was large and overwhelming, but she felt she could handle it.

“There isn’t a queue there because this park is just for the two of us!” Kokoro exclaimed excitedly. Mashiro felt her confidence come crashing down, replaced with embarrassment. Before she could process anything else she felt Kokoro grasp her arm and drag her towards the entrance eagerly. “Let’s go! I was so excited for this I could barely sleep last night!”

Mashiro followed behind, trying her best to keep up without stumbling. She felt a sense of dread after the pair dashed through the ticket booths. Mashiro had remembered to bring her wallet in order to pay for tickets, yet Kokoro had rushed straight past them. Had they just committed a crime?

Kokoro finally came to a stop in the central square. Terrified out of her wits, Mashiro’s eyes dashed around. Countless Michelle’s strolled around the park, carrying balloons, cotton candy, maps or giving directions to attractions. None of them were rushing towards her with handcuffs, instead regarding the pair with a gentle wave.

“K-kokoro-san? D-don’t we need to pay back there?” Mashiro stammered, drawing one arm into herself and using the other to point at the ticket booths.

“We don’t need to pay Mashiro, so don’t worry about it!” Kokoro reassured. “Have you ever tried hugging Michelle before? It’s the best!” She gave credit to her claim by leaping into the arms of the closest Michelle bear, drawing it (Or she? Mashiro wasn’t sure) into a tight hug.

Just as Mashiro started pondering what it would feel like to hug Michelle, a nearby bear approached her and held out its arms, as if on command. Mashiro gulped and then approached slowly, intimidated by Michelle’s height which was almost twice as tall as her. She gingerly raised her arms around Michelle’s torso, hesitating for a second once she realized her arms weren’t long enough to go around its waist. A few seconds later her arms made contact. Feeling the soft fur encouraged Mashiro to tighten her embrace, nuzzling into the bears chest. Michelle didn’t wrap its arms around her, instead patting her head friendlily. Mashiro felt herself calm down amidst the warmth of Michelle’s fur, smiling for the first time that day.

\----------

After an immeasurable amount of time Mashiro finally broke her embrace, thinking it was best for Michelle to carry on with whatever she was doing. Once Michelle had waved goodbye and turned to leave the main courtyard she turned to Kokoro, who had concluded her hug already and had been watching her with a bright smile on her face.

She rushed over to Mashiro and grabbed her hands eagerly. As Mashiro was still on cloud nine, the sudden non-fluffy contact made her jump. “You had an amazing smile Mashiro! You’ve even made me smile more! Isn’t it wonderful how smiles can spread to everyone?!” Kokoro beamed.

“Its pretty crazy…” Mashiro chuckled, regaining her composure. “I-I know this is random but isn’t it amazing how warm Michelle’s fur is?” she continued, her voice becoming more excited.

“I know! She’s so soft and cuddly. She would make a perfect friend to take on a snowy mountain climb! I should ask the other members of Hello, Happy World! to go with me one day!”

Mashiro’s mind was filled with thoughts of Kokoro on a snowy mountain, her and her friends huddling around Michelle as they climbed. As she shuddered thinking about the possibility, she was shocked by Kokoro’s voice again. “What do you want to do now? Do you want to go on the rollercoaster?”

Mashiro shook her head without hesitation. She had seen the twisting track of the rollercoaster ride already and the dips and turns made her feel nauseous even while still on the ground.

Mashiro felt herself tense up. It was Kokoro’s birthday, so surely what she wanted didn’t matter, right? Kokoro’s smile hadn’t wavered, but her smile held no nuance and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

“That’s ok! One of my friends is really scared of rollercoasters too. If you wanted something a little slower…” Kokoro scratched her chin before her eyes lit up with inspiration. “We could try the Happy Train Ride! Its nice and slow and you get to appreciate all the scenery too!”

Mashiro breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. At least she didn’t seem mad.

Kokoro grabbed Mashiro by the hand and led her onwards again, escorting her out of the courtyard. She moved at the same pace she did before, but Mashiro had an easier time keeping up. This, combined with no queues, allowed them to reach the Happy Train Ride in just a few minutes. The train was painted in a glossy red with white and yellow stripes. When they arrived, a Michelle was there to warmly welcome them (With a hug, to Mashiro’s delight) and guide them onto the train. The train consisted of three passenger carriages, most of which went unused due to there only being two passengers, but at least it gave the two a lot of space to move around.

The pair made themselves comfy on the red velvet lined seats as the train roared into life below them. Mashiro jumped at the noise, which prompted Kokoro to speak up. “Are you doing ok Mashiro? Do you feel comfortable riding the train?” she asked.

“Sudden loud noises scare me, but I think I’ll be ok.” Mashiro replied.

“The train starts by going up a hill, but there’s no scary drop afterwards. Instead it travels along the wall of the park, allowing you to see everything inside and outside of Michelle Land! Its nice and slow too!” Kokoro smiled.

Mashiro couldn’t help but smile too. Her grin truly was infectious. “Ooh! I’m looking forward to the view! By the way, thank you for looking out for me.” Mashiro thanked, unsure of a better place or time to show her gratitude.

“Don’t worry about it! The view is amazing too, you’ll love it!” The trains horn resonated through the area and Kokoro jumped out of her seat to lean out of the passenger window. “Ooh! It’s starting to move!”

Mashiro leaned towards the window too as the train set off. After leaving the station the train tackled the incline slowly, continuing along the walls once it had conquered it. The vast countryside slowly moved into view as the train climbed the hill and Mashiro marveled at the rolling green hills around the theme park once they were moving along the walls. Moving carefully from one side of the carriage to the other, she got a sense of the size and number of buildings in Michelle Land. She could see the entrance they had come through and the courtyard where she hugged Michelle, and thus got a sense of the distance they had travelled. Kokoro moved over to join her and eagerly pointed out the giant pink castle, the snaking rollercoaster and the Ferris Wheel, which towered above everything else in the park and had a picture of Michelle’s face on its side.

Mashiro eventually moved back to the other side, favoring the countryside over the city-esque amusement park. Mashiro rested her arms and head on the windowsill as she watched the countryside slowly roll by, smiling to herself as she enjoyed the ride contentedly with Kokoro, who pointed out every tree she saw as if they were all different.

\----------

The train had taken several hours to travel the perimeter of Michelle Land. The pair’s stomachs started growling as soon as they had gotten off the train, and Kokoro suggested with a smile that they should go get lunch together.

Mashiro felt like a child as she guiltily shoved her face full of popcorn, sweets and candy floss. She knew she needed a healthier, more balanced lunch, but what else was she supposed to do when Michelle Land could only offer her sweets and confectionary? Its not like she was alone in doing it either; Kokoro was doing the same thing and she was her senior!

The pair moved through the food district of Michelle Land as they sated their hunger. Countless stalls were staffed by Michelle bears, who were all selling the same thing. “Seems like sugary foods are their trade.” Mashiro thought. “Perhaps these bears mainly cater to their own species, selling each other food just like we do. Is this the Michelle economy?” she continued.

Mashiro wasn’t too lost in her imagination to lose track of her surroundings, and a singular stall caught her eye. Said stall appeared to be a carnival game; two fake guns were mounted to the front desk and a wall of cans were stacked on top of a shelf in the back. By knocking over the cans you could win an assortment of Michelle related prizes, such as light sticks and bubble blowers. It was the top prize which caught her attention though; a large fluffy Michelle plushie.

She already had a Michelle plushie at home, gifted to her by the other members of Morfonica to cheer her up after she received hateful comments for the first time. Giving it a squeeze always made her feel warm and soft and safe. Yet what was better than squeezing one Michelle plushie? Two at the same time.

Mashiro’s interest in the stall didn’t go unnoticed by Kokoro, who moved adjacent to her. “That’s such a large plushie! Do you want me to win it for you? I’m really good at these shootout games!”

Mashiro had a declination on the tip of her tongue, but it never came out. Mashiro should have been winning that prize for Kokoro due to it being her birthday, but Kokoro’s reassurance in being skillful at these games caused her nod in approval instead.

After getting approval from Mashiro, Kokoro rushed up to the stall and requested a go at the game. Mashiro had barely gotten her wallet out by the time she did Kokoro had already taken her first shot, knocking over a few cans. “Come to think of it,” Mashiro thought. “The bear at the food stall didn’t charge us anything either. Are these bears running a communist state, giving things to people who need them?”

Her thoughts about Michelle’s political ideologies (Which she swore she had thought of before while struggling with lyrics) were pushed to one side as she watched Kokoro take her shots, rubbing her hands together as she watched. Kokoro was certainly skillful, but she didn’t manage to knock over the cans in the allotted amount of shots, leaving 6 unscathed.

Yet just as Mashiro moved forward to reassure Kokoro that it was ok she lost, the shelf collapsed and the six cans fell to the floor. The stall lit up with bright rainbow lights as the Michelle happily handed the plushie to Kokoro, who then handed it with a generous smile to Mashiro, who was quite confused.

“A-are you sure you don’t want to keep it Kokoro-san?” Mashiro asked sheepishly. “Its your birthday, and you did all the hard work, so I think you should get to keep it.”

“Michelle plushies make you smile, don’t they?” Kokoro responded innocently. “So I think you should keep it!”

Mashiro nodded hesitantly, squeezing the bear and her eyes tight. She didn’t understand Kokoro at all, but she pushed her worries to the side for now.

As she looked up, she realized that the stall was not unique or special. They had just entered a carnival themed district, and thus the stalls were lined with various games, all offering Michelle plushies as their top prize.

Mashiro gripped the beat tight and gulped. “That’s a lot of bears…”

“You’re right! Do you want me to win more for you? I love playing these games!” Kokoro suggested.

Mashiro looked at Kokoro’s golden eyes gingerly and nodded, ignoring the growing outcry in her mind.

\----------

Mashiro wasn’t quite sure what to think anymore. She had no idea what Kokoro was motivated by.

It was fun watching Kokoro win a second Michelle plushie, and then a third. By the fourth and fifth the novelty wore off, and by the seventh Mashiro had frantically stopped Kokoro from winning any more. Seeing her struggle to hold all the plushies should have been evidence enough, yet Mashiro still had a hard time telling Kokoro to stop.

Today was Kokoro’s birthday, yet everything was about her. The comments she received told her she was nothing, that her vocals were awful, that she didn’t deserve to perform alongside the other bands at CiRCLE, yet here was a girl doing everything in her power to make sure she was safe and smiling.

It was all too good to be true. There had to be a catch somewhere.

As the carriage of the Ferris Wheel carried them into the air, Mashiro looked at the theme park sprawled out beneath her as she gripped a plushie tight. This was the last attraction the pair had time for, yet the energy at which Kokoro led her here and the eagerness with which she viewed her surroundings and pointed them out to Mashiro hadn’t dulled at all.

Mashiro squeezed the bear harder as she searched for the courage to ask Kokoro what she was thinking. She was too deep in her internal search to notice Kokoro looking at her.

“Are you doing ok? You look kind of sad.” she questioned, moving in closer to Mashiro and tilting her head.

Mashiro hesitated for a few moments for she took a deep breath. She looked at the floor as she spoke. “A-are you… doing anything else for your birthday?”

“I’ve got a surprise party with the rest of Hello, Happy World! this evening.” Kokoro replied, rubbing her chin with her fingers. “Other than that and being with you, there’s nothing else.”

“But why?” Mashiro questioned, her voice wavering.

“Hmm?” Kokoro leaned over as Mashiro clamped her hands over her mouth.

“I-I mean…” Mashiro gripped her bear tighter as she searched for her words. “Why are you doing all this for me? Its your birthday. I don’t deserve any of this.”

“You don’t need to worry Mashiro! You do!” Kokoro reassured.

“But I don’t.” Mashiro countered. Not when nobody else would do the same, and not when people have said such awful things to her. She felt tears line the corners of her eyes and trickle down her cheeks.

Kokoro must have noticed said tears, as Mashiro felt a hand rest on her shoulder as a means of reassurance. “You do deserve it Mashiro! You deserve to be smiling! Making you smile is part of my birthday present!” Kokoro reassured softly.

Mashiro wiped her eyes clear. “I don’t understand. I-I’m part of your birthday present?” she sniffled.

“You are! The feeling of making others smile is the greatest feeling in the world, and I get to do that every day. When you think like that everyday is like a birthday, isn’t it?”

Kokoro’s sparkling eyes met Mashiro’s teary turquoise eyes. “A-are you sure?”

“I’m 100% sure.” Kokoro consoled. “Making you smile like I did today is a part of my birthday, and I wouldn’t have that any other way.”

Mashiro nuzzled into the plushie she was holding, riding out her tears with Kokoro holding her shoulder. She wasn’t thinking about why Kokoro was doing things anymore.

Kokoro seemed to genuinely care for her, and that was enough for now.

After a few minutes, Mashiro had cried most of her tears. She raised her head and faced Kokoro with a teary grin. “Y-you know, i-if every day is like your birthday are you currently the o-oldest person in the world?”

Kokoro’s eyes illuminated, and her smile brightened. “That makes so much sense! I’m as old as the dinosaurs now!” she chuckled to herself, and Mashiro chuckled with her. “Theres that smile I love so much.” she commented happily.

“I-I’m flattered you like it so much.”

At this point, the carriage stopped moving, having reached the apex of the circle. Mashiro didn’t get much time to look at the view outside before Kokoro had an idea. “I can make that smile even bigger! Watch this!” She pressed a button on the wall of the carriage, which blacked out the windows amidst a chorus of mechanical whirrs. However, the pair weren’t stuck in complete darkness, as dozens of glow-in-the-dark stars formed a vast multi-coloured constellation above their heads.

Kokoro eyed the lights above her with a fixed gaze, humming a tune as she viewed the stars above her. Mashiro was less focused on the stars above her, instead looking at the girl beside her with a beating heart and a genuine, wide smile.

Kokoro eventually met her gaze, returning her smile with a grin that permeated the darkness. Mashiro felt her heart race faster. It felt wonderful to know that there was at least one person in the world who would do anything to ensure her happiness, no matter the cost.

“I hope my smile is a good enough gift for you.” Mashiro beamed.

“It’s one of the best birthday gifts ever,” Kokoro proclaimed gently. “Thank you so much.”

**Author's Note:**

> Kokoro wants to make the world smile, and thats it. Theres such a genuineness to her mission despite her simplicity and it makes her so loveable! I never thought I'd be celebrating the birthday of the literal sun, but here we are. I love Mashiro too, what a wonderful bean. She deserves to have more confidence in herself and carry herself with more weight. I know its unrelated (and probably goes without saying), but if I ever hear anything hateful towards Mashiro or Amanesu I will steal all of the guilty parties teeth.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! If you have any comments or feedback feel free to leave it here! This is my first time putting a relationship tag on a gen fic, so please let me know if this is something I shouldn't be doing!
> 
> I hope you have a good rest of your day, and I wish you the best in staying safe!


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